What's a budding artist to do?

[ab1ga]

Well, as my son plows his way through his senior year in high school, his father is left to ponder his higher education.

This lad is certainly well above average intelligence, but is resolutely silent and private about school matters. For three years I have tried to detect an interest in some specific field, some area of study, to guide his college search.
Zip, zilch, nada, until recently.

He wants to pursue a career in art! He won't be more specific, but that may be because he isn't sure yet, or that his language skills haven't reached the level needed to articulate his desires more precisely.

His teachers claim he has the talent, but the scion of my line is tall, thin, with black hair and blue eyes, a winning smile, and a deep voice with a strong Russian accent. To wit, he is cougar bait, and I don't know whether his art teachers (all female) are impressed with his work or just wobbly in the knees. The closest I came to art practice was T-square and triangle drafting in high school, so I can't render any judgement.

And now for the challenge: how to I educate him to the degree necessary to provide for himself and a family? He has mentioned an interest in computer animation, but from what I've heard, all teenagers want to be computer animators or rock stars. He's had some contact from local (Boston area) art schools, but I'm afraid that such an institution might not give him the additional coursework he needs on his language skills, history, etc.

I'd truly appreciate it if someone could advise me on which areas of art training (i.e. computer graphics, industrial design, etc.) would be suitable for avoiding disaster while meeting his apparent desire for a career with a strong creative component. My brother in law holds an MFA from Columbia in visual arts (emphasis on oils), yet is forced to earn his crust by teaching and carpentry; while he seems happy enough to paint part-time, I can see that he feels the lack of ability to put more time into his work.

Sorry for the long post, but my heir has truly dragged me into terra incognita this time, and I need a beacon quick.

73,

[NQ6U]

My advice, speaking as former art major? Go for an EE instead.

[KG4CGC]

Talk to Tony in Hollywood (BBC) on QRZ. He might give you an idea of the realities.
My dad tried to push me into doing something. He was always pushing me and it always failed miserably so why he thought it would be any different the next time he tried it is beyond me.
Yeah, dancing a fine line but maybe you could open up to him without any expectations and he might start communicating with you. If you were not a demonstrative parent to start with it will be harder.

That's my 2 pence. FWIW.

[ab1ga]

Talk to Tony in Hollywood (BBC) on QRZ. He might give you an idea of the realities.
My dad tried to push me into doing something. He was always pushing me and it always failed miserably so why he thought it would be any different the next time he tried it is beyond me.
Yeah, dancing a fine line but maybe you could open up to him without any expectations and he might start communicating with you. If you were not a demonstrative parent to start with it will be harder.

That's my 2 pence. FWIW.

Man, I haven't seen Hollywood Tony on the Zed in many moons; I wonder if he checks in there at all, any more?

Since we didn't get our son home from Russia until he was almost 16, I never had the opportunity to watch him grow from childhood, which would have given me much more insight into the person he is. I also may have been too cautious about asking for details of his early life because of the circumstances at the time (fall of Soviet Union, etc), but even so, as a group these kids are remarkably autonomous from an early age, and he's been used to doing what he's told and then being left to his own devices. I occasionally wonder if he's reluctant to share his feelings with adults because he's never had the chance before, and simply doesn't know how.

Lord know I can never change what he wants to do, nor would I want to, but he still doesn't "get" some aspects of American life, and I want to keep him from learning the hard way.

73,

[kc7jty]

Maybe he just needs more time, how does he take to having friends? Perhaps a liberal arts college without anything yet specific where he can meet others and maybe pick up a little drive and motivation. Others who may see his being different as an asset or interesting.

[KG4CGC]

Man, I haven't seen Hollywood Tony on the Zed in many moons; I wonder if he checks in there at all, any more?

Since we didn't get our son home from Russia until he was almost 16, I never had the opportunity to watch him grow from childhood, which would have given me much more insight into the person he is. I also may have been too cautious about asking for details of his early life because of the circumstances at the time (fall of Soviet Union, etc), but even so, as a group these kids are remarkably autonomous from an early age, and he's been used to doing what he's told and then being left to his own devices. I occasionally wonder if he's reluctant to share his feelings with adults because he's never had the chance before, and simply doesn't know how.

Lord know I can never change what he wants to do, nor would I want to, but he still doesn't "get" some aspects of American life, and I want to keep him from learning the hard way.

73,

OK, that puts a different aspect to the equation. I did not know or I just wasn't paying attention.

[kc7jty]

Where is his heart? Is he homesick? Is he committed to living his life here in the USA? You need to get into his head, and if this means backing off some and using a new approach.....

[KG4CGC]

FWIW, Tony is still active on the Zed. He just deleted some political posts in the survey center.

[W3MIV]

I would recommend taking him to Mass College of Art or Boston Art or the Museum School (I can't remember exact names, it has been twenty-+ years since I did the Boston art scene, but Google is your friend) and let him talk with faculty, admissions and other students. He should take a comprehensive exam to test his interests as well as talents, and it will also give the school a means of judging him. I don't know where you are located, but presume it is in NE. Good range of college offerings with art curricula in NE -- much centered on Boston.

[WX7P]

Albert's advice is well taken.

Another option could be to find a school that has a good art program, and some other study that he can use for back up.

My daughter is attempting to become a symphony trombonist, which isn't a easy gig to land. Her backup is graphic design, at which she is also accomplished. She got her undergrad degree at Michigan, which gives her decent school cred if the music thing doesn't pan out. She will be successful at whatever she ends up doing. She's only 24, so she has some time to pursue the music dream.

I say let your son try out the art thing for awhile and see if he connects with something.

My parents pushed me hard to have a "career" right after college, and I did the usual dumb things kids do, get married, start making money and accumulate debt to the point of being stuck in a job that was ok, but somewhat bland and at times dull. When my daughter came along and the divorce 5 years later, I was pretty much stuck with the golden handcuffs on tight.

My brother, who worked at the Pentagon at the time, had connections that could have gotten me a Congressional internship, but the voice of my Dad saying "be responsible" in my head, derailed that notion. So, I started being "responsible" at age 22.

Much too soon.

[ab1ga]

Thanks, everyone, for the good advice. I shall continue to apply more time, more patience, and more observation to the task. I suspect that, as is right with all such things, he'll follow his dreams and I'll do my best to play a strong supporting role.

73,

[W3MIV]

...the voice of my Dad saying "be responsible" in my head, derailed that notion. So, I started being "responsible" at age 22.

Much too soon.

I feel your pain. For my parents' generation, high school was "higher education" (it even said so in the name, for crisakes!). The push was to get to work and earn money. Even the concept of a "career" was impacted more by what you ended up doing than by design or planning.

Unfortunately, today's higher education has become more of a for-profit business than an institution devoted more to training and disciplining young minds and showing them the potential horizons that an education (in the truest sense of that overworked term) can open to them.

I know of few kids who knew what they wanted to do when they left high school. Indeed, I know many adults who didn't know what they wanted to do when the graduated college. If a kid has a dream, it should be encouraged. If nothing else, learning that the dream was not quite what it had been cracked up to be is an advantage in itself, and one can never have too much education. What doesn't necessarily serve the professional track will not be wasted on the avocational or recreational tracks.

The goal of an education is to learn to think, not to amass a mere treasure trove of idle trivia. Give him a long leash and be prepared to catch him when he trips.

[kf0rt]

I feel your pain. For my parents' generation, high school was "higher education" (it even said so in the name, for crisakes!). The push was to get to work and earn money. Even the concept of a "career" was impacted more by what you ended up doing than by design or planning.

Unfortunately, today's higher education has become more of a for-profit business than an institution devoted more to training and disciplining young minds and showing them the potential horizons that an education (in the truest sense of that overworked term) can open to them.

I know of few kids who knew what they wanted to do when they left high school. Indeed, I know many adults who didn't know what they wanted to do when the graduated college. If a kid has a dream, it should be encouraged. If nothing else, learning that the dream was not quite what it had been cracked up to be is an advantage in itself, and one can never have too much education. What doesn't necessarily serve the professional track will not be wasted on the avocational or recreational tracks.

The goal of an education is to learn to think, not to amass a mere treasure trove of idle trivia. Give him a long leash and be prepared to catch him when he trips.

Agree completely, Albi, and this is where we've gone wrong: encouraging commerce ahead of humanity.

For a very long time, I didn't "get this," but as I age, it becomes clearer. My Dad (patriarch, yes) grew up in the dismal times of the Great Depression. Life wasn't easy, but it was easily survivable. Got his education (he and my Mom wound up with a total of 5 degrees; Dad had four of those, including a PhD). That was the road to success then and it worked well for him as a public schoolteacher who retired a couple decades ago.

Times have changed a lot since then, but the rules haven't. Our aspirations now are that of the CEO looking for the Golden Parachute. We offer little to the betterment of our tribe despite our own advances that might enable this. American Dream, as defined? Pfffffft. It was all built on Twinkies.

[kc7jty]

it's a shame greed, corruption, and friends within the inner circle work best. It's just the way it is.